What Are YOU Looking AT?!?...

Every day, approximately 75 to 150 Internet users make their way here to BRAIN CHEESE...some days, like weekends, a few less...some days like Wednesdays, as many as 200 "hits" find there way to this most obscure MS blog site. I am always extremely fascinated WHY anyone would choose to waste precious minutes out of their day to drive by this blog and read the ramblings of a mad woman...and I am certainly intrigued there really ARE more than TWO of you who come here frequently. :-)

As all of you know (and most techno bloggers practice...and I DO like to include myself in the "geeky" crowd), I run a stats program behind the scenes of BRAIN CHEESE and another that has a posted link on the left side bar...it's the "in" thing to do...to keep track of one's blog traffic. The stats reveal the IP address of the person peeking at BRAIN CHEESE, where they are located in the world (within a reasonable range), the browser, the resolution of the computer being used, how many times you have returned to BRAIN CHEESE or if it is your first visit, what web page the person came from to get here, what search words were used to "find" BRAIN CHEESE, and so on. Most of you who comment, I KNOW who you are based on the timing of your comment and the timing of the "hit" on the stats page...that's right...I SEE YOU!...right down to what Internet Service Provider you are using to hook up to the Internet. I know if you are dialing up, paying for Comcast, Qwest, Clearwire, Coxnet, etc. I actually KNOW quite a bit about you...which is my only trade off if you read my blog...YOU get to peek into my personal life as I bare my arse to the world by reading this blog while I get a tiny glimpse into yours. Moohahaha...

Some of you are insomniacs...you come here at extremely early morning hours even for the East Coast. Some of you come here once and never return. Some of you come here a few times a day to "lurk", but never leave a comment or outward footprint of your visit...that's OK...I don't leave comments on all the blogs I read either because of time constraints and a basic lack of creative thinking. But my "stats" DO tell me you have been here and/or keep coming back. Some of you travel great distances in a matter of seconds from countries all over the world just to take a glimpse inside the vacant brain of "CHEESE".

About 20 - 30 "hits" EVERY day arrive from people doing a Google Search on JESUS CAMP...there...I said the words AGAIN in print (which will only INCREASE the camper's lurking...sigh...). It's because of this post titled, "More Disturbing Images From 'Jesus Camp", which features several snippet pictures from the movie...it seems there are a multitude of CAMPERS out there interested in catching a glimpse of a disturbing, seven week old fetus! Get a life people...I had a brief moment of insanity and posted a NON-MS post...but even these "hits" are OK with me really because maybe...just maybe...one of the CAMPERS will stop and realize this blog is really about Multiple Sclerosis, and they will find something ELSE important to focus on.

People do searches on "whoopie cushions", SNL's "Oops I Crapped My Pants" commercial, "hormones and women", "grinch night", "fornication under consent of the king", "massage school naked", "cheese catch phrases", and a multitude of OTHER rather unusual searches that find their way here, to BRAIN CHEESE...all because during extreme brain farts of posting, I HAVE included some form of these search words or actual posts ABOUT those words IN posts of this blog. And there are the many DRUG COMPANY hits that come here just to check up/spy upon what my current MS drug of choice(s) is...they get included with the above grouping.

Still others are genuinely looking to find their way here about MS. Searches like, "how to lose prednisone moon face", "zyprexa and solumedrol", "how does heat affect MS patients", "MS acting drunk", and "word finding brain" have been just a few of the keyword searches TODAY that have brought people here to BRAIN CHEESE. And there are always those of you who "hit" several times a day on the "110 MS Blogs To Suck Your Time" link on the left side bar, too. People are hungry for information about Multiple Sclerosis and I hope they are able to find something of interest or use when they stop by here. That is, after all, my goal in writing this blather...to inform and to entertain...and maybe connect with a few of you regular commentors along the way. You DO feed me as much (and most likely far more) than I feed you here. I feel I have found many a kindred spirit among you and I delight in receiving those wonderful, personal emails you take the time to send me even if you don't usually leave a comment.

I also receive many "unusual" emails from this blog, too. Most of them I never share here as they are sent either to SELL me something that will cure my MS forever, they are the ramblings of what appear to be highly disturbed individuals who have quite obviously found me because of the many mental health posts I make, they are the chastising rants of the JESUS CAMPERS, they are folks wanting me to feature something about THEM on BRAIN CHEESE, or they are simply requests from individuals to read THEIR blogs...which I often do follow up on these requests...the other emails simply go to that big delete bucket in the sky.

Yesterday, I received a rather fascinating email from a Marketing Coordinator regarding a book a well known author has recently written...the author's name is Joel Goldman, and he is a retired lawyer in Kansas City who writes mystery/crime novels. He is launching a new series in his book soon to be out called, "Shakedown", in which he is bringing a new character to the scene...an FBI agent, who has recently been diagnosed with a neurological movement disorder...the same disorder the author lives with in his real life. I was asked if I would accept a preprint copy of his book and "review" it here on BRAIN CHEESE.

At first, I balked at this request...after all, neither Mr. Goldman nor his fictitious character have MS. And there IS the basic fact I am about as literate as a kindergartner, who's primary source of reading material comes from scribbles on bathroom walls. Yet still, I remained intrigued by the request...so I researched the author, sent him a personal email, and replied to the Marketing Coordinator with questions on how and why she found my blog (which is the only place to obtain my email address) and would want to make such a request of me? She responded with answers that calmed my curiosity and I agreed to accept the preprint, read it, and review it here. A most unusual thing for me to agree to do as I am not one who EVER chooses to market anything on this blog...all y'all have a search engine on your browser where you can research your OWN marketing issues...you don't need to read that crap here (any more than you really need to read ANY of the crap that gets printed here!).

But, I also pull no punches here on this blog (sometimes I try to throw them "kindly", but I don't PULL them!) and I decided if I find the book to be drivel, I will "review" it in that light as well...I'm hoping it is not. I'm hoping it will be something that keeps my gnat-like attention and I will be able to support the work of someone who is a neuro club member...one of the "other" neuro clubs. The preprint is supposed to be sent out on Monday and will hopefully arrive sometime next week...and, thanks to the Evelyn Woodhead Speed Reading Course I took through comics Cheech & Chong (Please? Am I seriously dating myself here by this reference?), I will surely complete the read before the end of the year...sigh...

Day Two of Solumedrol...I THINK I'm still making good sense here, aren't I???...LOL...